Rakau, or AlphAroma as it was previously known, was developed in New Zealand. Languishing in its disease free habitat, Rakau features a high concentration of myrcene is said to pair it beautifully to dry-hopped American Pale Ales.

It was initially bred in the late 1970’s from Smooth Cone through open pollination but it was not released to the market until 1983. It was re-released under the new name in 2007. According to New Zealand Hops Limited, AlphAroma no longer exists as a commercially named variety. Despite that, it is currently being grown and sold under its old name by Dutchess Hops of New York who planted it in the US in 2013.